Floresta, Pernambuco
Floresta is a city in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco. Situated at latitude 08º36'04" South and at longitude 38º34'07" West, being to an altitude of 316 metres. Its population was estimated in 2009 of 28.100 inhabitants,[1] according with IBGE.
Has an area of 3690,3 km².
History
Floresta (means forest) traces its origins to the 18th century farms of Curralinho and Paus Pretos, but it was the Fazenda Grande (big farm), on the right bank of the rio Pajeú (Pajeú river), that saw the first inhabitants of Floresta. In the second half of the 18th century, the farm served as a temporary shelter for the cattle that came from Bahia to supply Pernambuco sugar devices with animal power.
Around the particular oratory, raised in 1777, that would later come to be the chapel of the Bom Jesus dos Aflitos, the town appeared named as Fazenda Grande. The proprietors of the Fazenda Grande, captain Jose Maciel Pear tree and his wife D. Joana de Souza Silveira, had donated their lands to the Bom Jesus dos Aflitos, in 1778, in the notary's office of the Farm Riacho do Navio.
The easy access to water and the spirit of Christianity had attracted people to the place. After few years, the town of Fazenda Grande was raised to the category of Village on 31 March 1846, by means of a project that became Provincial Law no. 153, presented for the representative of Flores, city also bathed by the Pajeú River, of which was unlinked.
In 1849, as a punishment for its active participation in Revolução Praieira, the Vila de Floresta was incorporated to the town of Tacaratu, however, in 1864, the Term of the Judicial district was restored.
As a village, and with the advent of Republic, Floresta had as the first mayor Mr. Cel. Fausto Serafim de Souza Ferraz, who assumed in 1892. On 20 June 1907, through state Law no. 867, it was raised to the category of city. After four days the "Sociedade Progressista Arborizadora" was created for the florestanos João Gomes Barbosa and Alfredo Barros, being the first one called by Álvaro Ferraz, in its book Floresta, Pai dos Tamarindos.
The city of Floresta is classified in first place in Pernambuco, as the greatest rearing facility of caprinos (goat), and also one of the greatest tomato producing regions.
Since the early 1990s, Floresta has been home to violent feuding between two influential families, which has caused the deaths of more than 50 people.[2]
Religious history
In 1897, the first Church was constructed, where today sits the Cathedral of the Bom Jesus. It held the image of the Padroeiro, being the primitive church, a monument of History and Faith there, under the sponsorship of Nª Srª do Rosário.
Floresta was seat of the first Roman Catholic Diocese of the Sertão Nordestino, created in 1910 was composed of 18 parishes: Exu, Ouricuri, Petrolina, Granito, Leopoldina (current Parnamirim), Salgueiro, Boa Vista, Cabrobó, Belém do São Francisco, Floresta, Vila Bela (current Serra Talhada), Belmonte, São José do Egito, Triunfo, Flores, Afogados da Ingazeira, Alagoa de Baixo (current Sertânia) e Tacaratu.
The first bishop of the diocese was D. Augusto Álvaro da Silva, who later served as Cardinal Archbishop of Bahia.
Serra Negra
Serra Negra it is the first biological reserve of Brazil, being instituted by the Decree 28348, of 7 de junho of 1950, with an area of 1.100ha and 5 km (3 mi) of extension.
Its exuberant nature, also with some typical vegetal species of the Amazon region, was studied by important researchers, between them prof. Vasconcelos Sobrinho.
Economy
The main economic activities in Floresta are based in commerce and agribusiness, especially creation of goats, cattle, sheeps, ; and plantations of tomatoes, melons, water melons and onions. Floresta, it is one of the largeste creators of goats in all state, with over than 110 thousand heads in 2007.
Economic Indicators
| Population | GDP x(1000 R$).[3] | GDP pc (R$) | PE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28.100 | 152.769 | 5.733 | 0.25% |
Economy by Sector
| Primary sector | Secondary sector | Service sector |
|---|---|---|
| 14.67% | 12.64% | 72.69% |
Health Indicators
| HDI (2000) | Hospitals (2007) | Hospitals beds (2007) | Children's Mortality every 1000 (2005) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.698 | 2 | 140 | 35 |
References
Translated from: http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floresta_%28Pernambuco%29 Coordinates: 8°36′04″S 38°34′05″W / 8.601°S 38.568°W